Boiler-flue cleaner



(N0 Model.)

o. s. DEAN. BOILBR FLUE CLEANER.

Patented June 2, 1896*V N fl.

llNiTnn STATES PATENT Trice.

.oi-*Rus s. DEAN, or roar nain, CANADA, AssieNon on oNn-nALr ro cnARLns o. RANG, or BuFFALo, NEW Yoran.

Bomen-nue CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION fom'iing part of Letters Patent No. 561,497, dated .Tune 2, 1896.

Application filed :December 23, 1395. Serial No, 573,069. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CYRUS S; DEAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Fort Eric, in the county of Velland, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler- Flue Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to flue cleaners which embody in their organization cuttingblades actuated by jets of steam, compressed air, or other medium to rotate them at a high speed, and-which ily outward under centrifugal force against the sides of the iiue and remove the soot, scale, and deposit therefrom.

The object of the improvement is the provision of a cleaner which will be positive in its action and perform the work in a rapid, effective, and thorough manner without fatiguing the person engaged in this-otherwise arduous and tiresome occupation.

A further object of the improvement is to increase the life and usefulness of the device and to prevent injurious contact of the cuttin g-blades with unyielding obstructions and scale in the boiler-fines.

The improvement also aims to centralize the rotary cutter, so as to insure a uniform action, whereby the soot and scale are removed evenly and a thorough cleansing of the flue effected.

The invention also aims to reduce the friction of the device to a minimum when moving it through the ues, and thereby lessening the task of the user.

Other objects and advantages are contemplated and will become apparent as the nature of the invention is eomprehended; and to this and such other ends as appertain to the character of the invention the latter consists in certain details of construction, novel feaftures, and peculiar combinations of the parts, which hereinafter will be more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the ,accompanying drawings is illus- -trated an embodiment of the invention, although various changes in the form, proportions,and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, and in the said drawings-- Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a boiler-flue cleaner constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the tubular shaft bearing the propeller-wheel and the rotary cutter. Fig. is a rear end view of the device,showing the relative disposition of the wheels for relieving the friction.. Fig. 4t is an end view of the rotary cutter, showing the washer for locking the pins or bolts upon which the blades are mounted. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the antifriction -wheels and their mountings for supporting the pipe by means of which the device is manipulated. Fig. 6 is a detail View of the plate or head having the j et-openings and in which the spindle is balanced and supported by means of a balland-socket joint.

The same reference-numerals denote corresponding and like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The numeral l indicates the casing, which is of suitable length and diameter to suit the nature of the work and to accommodate the size of the flue or tube for which the cleaner is designed, and this casing is open at both -ends and is provided between its ends with an inner shoulder or rib 2, formed by swaging or spinning a groove in the outer side of the casing, as commonly practiced in sheetmetal working. i A head or end 3 is iitted to and closes the rear end of the casing 1 and is adapted to have a pipe 4 coupled thereto for ease and convenience in manipulating the cleaner. A plate or head 5 is iitted within the easing against the shoulder or rib 2, and the edge contiguous to the said rib is recessed to receive the latter and is provided at intervals near its edge with threaded openings G to receive the inner threaded ends ot' the bolts or machine-screws 7, by means of which the head 3 and the plate 5 are secured in place. The space 8, formed between the parts 3 and 5, receives the steam, compressed air, or other medium by means of which the rotary critter is driven, and the said plate 5 is provided with a series of oblique openings 9 and a corresponding series of straight openings 10, and

IOO

these openings 9 and 10 provide for the issuing of jets for operating the cutter and clearing the tube or iiue of the scale and soot loosened from the sides thereof by the cutter.

The shaft 11, carrying the propeller-wheel 12 with its blades 13, is tubular and is mounted upon a spindle 14, which is threaded at its outer end to receive a nut 15, having its head formed with projections or otherwise constructed so as to be readily turned by the hand. The propeller-wheel 12 is a small motor-wheel whose buckets or wings 13 stand obliquely and receive the impact of the jets at approximately right angles to their faces, thereby admitting of the said jets being utilized to the best possible advantage for driving the wheel, and this propeller-wheel is secured upon, or, if desired, may be formed with, the inner end of the tubular shaft 11. An annular flange or ring 1G is provided at the front end of the shaft 11, and a companion flange or ring 17 is provided upon the shaft 11 and is located a short distance in the rear of the flange 16 and is provided at intervals around its periphery with stops 1S to prevent the blades 10 from passing beyond a given position.

The blades 19 curve outwardly between their ends and will be of tempered steel or chilled cast-iron, so as to maintain a cutting edge, andy are tangentially disposed with reference to the circumference of the shaft 11 and are hin ged or pivotally supported at their inner edge, preferably by means of pins or bolts 20, which pass through a sleeve or knuckle 21 at the inner edge of the said blades and through alining openings in the flanges 10 and 17, the inner openings being threaded to receive the inner threaded ends of the bolts 20.

Any convenient means of pivoting the blades to the shaft may be provided, although the provisions shown are preferred, in that they4 admit of the blades being readily removed for makin g repairs or to be substituted by new blades.

The heads of the bolts 2O have indentures 22 in one side to receive the edge of a washer 23, by means of which the said bolts are locked against rotation and accidental displacement after being properly positioned, and this washer 23 is mounted upon the outer end of the spindle 11 and is confined between the front end of the shaft 11 and the nut 15.

The spindle 1i is provided at a point intermediate of its ends with a ball 24C, which obtains a bearing in a socket 25, formed centrally in the plate 5, and is retained in the said socket by means of a ring 26 and bindin g-screws 27, the latter passing through openings in the ring 2G and entering corresponding threaded openings in the plate 5. The ball-and-soeket bearing thus provided be` tween the spindle 111 and the plate 5 admits of the cutter oscillating so as to adapt itself to the tube or flue being cleaned, thereby enabling the cutter to clear any inequalities or unyielding obstructions formed on the inner walls thereof. A weight 28 is secured upon the rear end of the spindle 11 and is of sufficient mass to counterbalance the rotary eutter and the propeller-wheel, thereby providing for the equipoise of the rotary cutter, and thereby facilitating the work of the cleaner. The rear end of the weight is reduced, as shown at 20, and projects into the reduced. portion of the head or end 3 and has a limited movement therein, whereby the amplitude of movement of the rotary cutter is controlled.

In order to prevent the pipe 4t from coming in direct contact with the sides of the flue or tube to be cleaned and to centralize the saine, antifriction-wheels SOare provided and are mounted between the adjacent ends of segments 31, whose ends 232 extend outwardly and are apertured to receive bolts 323, upon which the antifriction-wheels 30 are mounted, and which serve to secure and clamp the ments 31 about the said pipe i at a convenient point.

The pipe l is to be connected with the boiler, reservoir of compressed air, or other medium by means of which the cutter is driven and the loose scale and soot carried off, and the cleaner is pushed through the flue or tube, and the cutter rotating at a high rate of speed causes the blades to fly outward and engage with the sides of the iiue or tube and remove all deposits therefrom. The jets from the straight openings or outlets 10, supplemented by the other jets, create a blast through the iiue or tube sufficient to carry eff all loose particles, and thereby prevent choking and impediment to the progress of the cleaner through the iiue. Should the blades meet with any unyielding obstructions, they will turn on their pivotal supports and ride over the said obstructions without receiving injury. 'lhe series of blades and their mounting constitute the rotary cutter and will be so designated in the subjoined claims.

To the successful operation of the cleaner, it is essential that the counterbalanced spindle be held against rotation, and to attain this end the ball 24E is provided with a pin 3i, which operates in a slot 35 in that portion of the plate 5 inclosing the socket 25, and this construction in no wise prevents the universal IOO IIO

movement of the spindle when adapting itself to the character of the tube or flue being cleaned.

The head er end 3 is provided with pairs of lugs 36, which are formed with alining open.- ings, through which pass pins or bolts 37, upon which are mounted rollers 38,which are adapted to bear against the sides of the flue or tube, so as to relieve the frictional contact incident to the movement of the cleaner through the flue or tube operated upon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A Hue-cleaner comprising a casing and a counterbalanced spindle provided on its outer end with a rotary cutter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A fine-cleaner comprising a casing, a plate located within the casin g, and a counterbalanced shaft mounted in the plate and provided at its outer end with a rotary cutter, substantially as set forth.

3. A flue-cleaner comprising a casing, a plate located within the casing, a spindle mounted in the plate intermediate of its ends bymeans of a ball-and-socket joint, a counterbalance at theinner end of the spindle, and a rotary cutter at the outer end of the said spindle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fine-cleaner the combination of a casing, a plate located within the casing and provided with openings for the escape of the propelling medium, a counterbalanced spindle mounted in the plate by means of a bali-andsocket bearing, and a rotary cutter at the outer end of the eounterbalanced spindle, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

5. In a fine-clean er the combination of a casing, a plate located within the casing and provided with openings for the escape of the propellin g medium, a spindle having connection with the plate by means of a universal joint, a tubular shaft mounted upon the spindle and provided with a propeller-wheel,and a rotary cutter at the outer end of the tubular shaft, and exterior to the casing, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

6. In a iiue-cleaner,the combination of a casing, a plate located therein, a counterbalanced spindle mounted in the said plate by means of a universal joint, a pin extending across the joint between the spindle and the plate to hold the said spindle against rotation, and a tubular shaft mounted upon the vouter end of the spindle and provided with a propeller-wheel and a rotary cutter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a fine-cleaner, the combination with a casing, inclosing the operating parts of an end piece having pairs of lugs, and rollers journaled between said lugs and adapted to travel upon the inner wall of the flue or tube to be cleaned, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a flue-cleaner, of a 1nanipulating-pipe,having connection therewith, segments having their ends extending outwardly and adapted to be clamped about the said pipe and antifriction-wheels journaled upon the fastenin gs connecting the said segments, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

9. The herein shown and described boileriiue cleaner, comprising a casing having an inner shoulder about midway of its end, a head closing the rear end of the casing, a plate fitted against the said inner shoulder and provided With openings for the escape of the propelling-wheel, bolts connecting the said head and plate, a counterbalanced spindle having a ball-and-socket connection With the plate and held from rotating, a tubular shaft mounted upon the outer portion of the spindle and provided with a propeller-wheel and with a rotary cutter, and means for securing the tubular shaft upon the spindle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OYRUS S. DEAN. lVitnesses:

SHIPLEY BRAsHEARs, .T r., CHARLES O. RANO. 

